Takeoff Abort Overrun at Besançon-La Vèze Airport (F-GJGB)

Incident Overview and Immediate Sequence of Events During the takeoff roll from runway 24 at Besançon-La Vèze Airport, the captain determined that the aircraft was not accelerating as expected and elected to abort the takeoff. The crew initiated an emergency braking procedure, but the aircraft could not stop within the remaining runway distance. It overran the runway, struck a 2.4-meter-high embankment located 30 meters beyond the runway end, and came to rest in flames. The passenger sustained serious injuries, and both pilots were killed. ## Official Findings and Contributing Factors The official investigation concluded that the accident resulted from a late decision by the crew to abandon the takeoff procedure, which had been initiated with the parking brake not fully released. The investigation identified several contributing factors. First, an imperfect application of the checklist prevented the crew from identifying the anomaly during startup or the initial roll. Second, adverse weather conditions caused the crew to focus on maintaining the runway centerline, reducing attention to other checks and delaying recognition of landmarks that might have indicated insufficient acceleration. Third, the position of the “BRAKE” warning light was outside the pilot’s normal visual circuit during takeoff.